James alex



(No Model.)

J. A. PEIROE & J. E. GIBBS.

. FRUIT DRIER.

Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

N. PETERS, PhMa-lithogmphor. Wznhingiun, n. c.

l UNITED STATES 1 new Enron,

JAMES ALEX. PEIROE AND JAMES EDWIN GIBBS, on JONESBOROUGI-I,

- TENNESSEE.

FRUIT DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..420,562, dated February 4, 1890.

Application filed April 17, 1889- fierlal No. 307,601. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J AMES ALEX. PEIROE and JAMES EDWIN GIBBs, citizens of the United States, residing at Jonesborough, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Briers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

Our invention relates to fruit-driers, and has for its object improvements on driers of the revolving class by the production of the simple, cheap, and portable device which will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figurel represents a side elevation of our improved drier applied to a stove; Fig. 2, a view of the base in perspective and the drier in plan with its lid wide open, showing the interior; Fig. 3, a detached perspective view of one of the trunnions, showing the crank applied thereto in dotted lines. Fig. & is a plan view of part of one of the wire trays; and Fig. 5, a detail view of asection of one of the supports, showing the square bearing for the trunnions. V Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A indicates the body of our improved drier, which consists of four sheet-metal sides, preferably about square, riveted together at the corners. On the outer surface of two of these sides are secured by rivets metallic disks B, having cast integral therewith trunnions C, flattened on two sides, as at a. One of the trunnionsG has its outer end I) squared for the reception of a crank c, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8.

D indicates the base of the device, also of sheet metal, bent so as to form a hollow square, or made of four sect-ions secured together in like manner as the body A of the drier. .On two sides of the base D are riveted vertical supports E, provided in their upper ends with slots d, the lower portion or bottoms of which are square to receive one of the flattened perforated top.

sides a of the trunnions 0 when these parts are in their relative working positions.

The body A is provided with a foraminous metallic top and bottom F G, respectively, the former being hinged, as at e, and bearing on its front edge a suitable locking device, as f, for securing the lid F to the body A when it is desired.

The interior of the drier is equipped with a series of shelves consisting of a square frame of wire H, Fig. 4, over which is tightly stretched and properly secured finer strands of wire 9 or a piece of wire-netting, thus forming the body of the shelf or tray.

These parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described, the operation is as follows: The drier is portable and may be used in connection with any suitable heating device; but when used with an ordinary cooking stove the base D rests upon the surface thereof, as shown in Fig. l. The body A. is then tilted, turning on the trunnions C until it assumes the position shown in Fig 2, or thereabout. Fruit to be dried is now introduced between the shelves, and each pair of shelves with a layer of fruit between them is separated from the others by means of small strips of wood or metal h. The wire g, forming the body the shelves or trays, being fine, will naturally spring, and the fruit having been placed between two such shelves will consequently be held firmly in position. Lid or top F is then closed down, locked, and the body A revolved until one of the flat sides 0; of the trunnions O rests upon the flat bottom of slots (1, in which position the perforated top and bottom F and Gwill be one directly above the other, with the shelves in a vertical position between them. Heat rising from the stove will then be conducted up by the base D through the perforated bottom, between the several pairs or sets of trays, and out through the Having remained in this position a sufficient length of time, the drier is again revolved through the medium of crank 6 until the end which was up becomes the bottom, and the heat is thus more evenly distributed.

It will be observed that owing to the flat tened sides of the trunnions G the drier is not apt to turn accidentally, but by the use of the crank cit becomes an easy matter to 5 revolve the same when necessary.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim is- In a fruit-drier, a hollow base open at both ends and adapted to rest upon a stove and 10 having vertical supports, in combination with revoluble casing journaled in said supports and provided with a foraminous top, bottom, and trays, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We afifiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. JAMES ALEX. PEIRCE. JAMES EDWIN GIBBS. Witnesses:

A. O. Hoss, D. W. PEOPLES. 

